Liquid soap dispenser having integral self-sealing dispensing means



March 26, 1968 J. RosAN 3,375,056

LIQUID SOAP DISPENSER HAVING INTEGRAL SELF-SEALING DISPENSING MEANS Filed June 17, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Jae Rqs/z WQ/Q Q JTTORNEY March 26, 1968 J, AN 3,375,056

LIQUID SOAP DISPENSER HAVING INTEGRAL SELF-SEALING DISPENSING MEANS Filed June 17', 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,375,056 LIQUID SOAP DISPENSER HAVING INTEGRAL SELF-SEALING DISPENSING MEANS Jos Rosan, Rancho San Juan, San Juan Capistrano, Calif. 92675 Filed June 17, 1965, Ser. No. 464,698 8 Claims. (Cl. 401-186) This invention relates to liquid dispensers and more particularly to a liquid soap dispenser having the configuration of a common bar of soap, and to a method of making same.

It is a common experience with the use of ordinary bar soap in bathrooms, =l=avatories and the like, that a film or sediment of the dissolved soap becomes deposited over the area with which the bar of soap comes into contact. Another unsatisfactory feature of solid bar soap is that it cannot be used effectively in hard water nor will it dissolve or cut grease.

A further shortcoming of bar soap is that the amount of initial lather produced varies with the acidity of the users skin and, accordingly, it has been necessary for modern soap manufacturers to include an agent which will quickly produce an abundance of lather. Thereafter, another agent is added to the bar soap to maintain a particular level of sudsing.

In addition, it has been found that the saleability of bar soap is primarily a function of its aesthetic qualities, i.e., coloring and scent. The additives which may be added to the solid fbar soap to impart coloring and/or scent thereto are very limited because of the general chemical composition of the soap.

To overcome the aforesaid unsatisfactory features associated with solid bar soap, liquid soaps and detergents have been developed, and form a large segment of the soap market. However, these liquid soaps and detergents are normally packaged so as to be dispensed by the usual bulky pour-out methods, i.e., through open spouts and the like, being less convenient and not conducive to the usual uses of ordinary bar soap.

The invention of the instant application overcomes the disadvantages associated with solid 'bar soap thereby presenting :a unique and novel solution to the long-existing problem of providing a convenient device for containing liquid soap and/or detergents and a simple method of dispensing the same. Thus, all the advantages of liquid soap and detergent are obtained, yet avoiding all the detrimental features of bar soap.

The device of the instant invention is comprised of a flexible, semirigid container which is provided with a self-sealing aperture that is leak-proof at high altitudes. In addition, by the use of a transparent or translucent material in the container, a variety of col-or additives may be readily mixed with the soap or detergent solution, thereby permitting the soap dispenser to be adapted to a number of decorating colors or decors.

Another advantage of the dispensing container of the present invention is that it may be separated into a number of internal chambers containing dilferent liquid substances each having its own independent self-sealing dispensing means. Because of its positive self-sealing dispensing means, the dispenser may be placed in a persons pocket or purse without danger or fear of the contents leaking or exuding therefrom.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a liquid soap dispenser which has an integral self-sealing dispensing means without the use of extraneous sealing means.

Another object of the present invention is to providea liquid soap dispenser which will not leak even at 'high altitudes.

3,375,056 Patented Mar. 26, 1968 Still another object is to provide a liquid soap dispenser which will dispense controlled amounts of liquid therefrom.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method for making a liquid soap dispenser having an integral selfsealing dispensing mean-s.

Other objects and advantages will be readily apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view, partly sectioned, of a liquid soap dispenser constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2' is a side elevational view, partly sectioned, of the liquid soap dispenser of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary view of the self-sealing dispensing means of the liquid soap dispenser taken on the line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary view of the self-sealing dispensing means of the liquid soap dispenser taken on the line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectionalview taken across the selfsealing dispensing means before flexing (shown in a solid line) and the postion of the dispensing means after flexing of the dispenser wall (shown in a dashed line);

FIG. 6 is a top plan view, partly sectioned, of another embodiment of the present invention illustrating the use of a roller in conjunction with the self-sealing dispensing means and which is refillable at one end of the dispenser container through the threaded opening'by removing the threaded plug adapted to be received therein;

FIG. 7 is .a firag-ment ary view taken on the line 77 of FIG. 6, illustrating the relationship of the roller in conjunction with the self-sealing dispensing means;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view, partly in section, of another embodiment of the present invention in which the selfsealing dispensing means is positioned at the base of a trough and the surface of the dispenser is corrugated;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary view of the dispensing means taken on the line 9-9-of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary view illustrating the relationship of the self-sealing dispensing means to the trough, taken on the line 1010 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is an elevational view, in section, of still another embodiment of the present invention illustrating an internal liner secured to the self-sealing dispensing means;

FIG. 12 is an end elevational view, partly sectioned, of the dispenser shown in FIG. 11 with a section taken on the line 12-12 thereof, illustrating the relationship of the internal liner to the dispensing means thereof.

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, the numeral 26 designates generally a liquid soap dispenser embodying the principles of the present invention. Dispenser 26 is comprised of a hollow body 27 having a slit aperture 28 therein. Although slit aperture 28 is shown on one face surface 29 of the dispenser of FIGS. land 2, this slit aperture may be provided on either, or all, sides and faces of the dispenser. Although the hollow body 27 of the dispenser may be made of any flexible and resilient material, the most satisfactory performance was found to result from the use of a pliable plastic material such as polyethylene.

As illustrated i'n FIGS. 1 and 2, the dispenser is also provided with a filling means 30 located at one end of the hollow body 27, said means consisting of an inwardly extending projection of the body. The dispenser 26 is filled through the filling means 30 by a hypodermic needle or the like (not shown) and is accordingly provided with an aperture 31 to accommodate the needle, as best illustrated in FIG. 4'. It should be noted that aperture 3 1 does 4 not extend completely through filling means 30 into inner cavity 33, but merely extends from the surface of body 27 inwardly into the filling means 30.

As best shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the wall of body 27 in the area immediately surrounding slit aperture 28 has a thickened portion 32, so that the dimension of aperture 28 between the outermost surface 29 and the body cavity 33 is sufficient to provide the necessary self-sealing characteristics to said slit aperture 28.

The side walls 34 of slit aperture 28 are in tight abutment at the surface 29 of the body 27, but diverge as they extend inwardly toward cavity 33 so as to provide a V shape having the apex thereof at the surface 29 of body 27 extending along the aperture 28.

Because of the resilient properties of the material from which the body is made, upon the application of a force on any or all of the face surfaces and/or sides of the dispenser (except the face or wall which contains the slit aperture) the body 27 will tend to slightly outwardly deform or bulge the wall of body 27 in the vicinity of slit aperture 28 and concomitantly cause the tightly abutted ends of side walls 34 of slit aperture 28 to separate and the opposite ends of the wall 34 to converge (as best illustrated by dashed line in FIG. 5). Thus, as continued pressure is applied to body 27 of the dispenser, the side walls 34 of slit aperture 28 will tend to become parallel with one another, thereby resulting in a continuous unobstructed passageway connecting inner cavity 33 with the atmosphere beyond face surface 29 of body 27.

Although the material comprising the wall of body 27 of the dispenser may be of any thickness, it must be of sufficient thickness to not only provide structural rigidity to the dispenser, but also to insure that when external pressure is applied to a face or side of the body, the whole surface will be depressed simultaneously in varying degrees rather than having a localized depression occurring in the immediate vicinity of the applied external pressure. This is important in that the surface or face of the body will then act as a bellows plane which compresses air in the cavity which, in turn, applies a compressive force on the liquid so as to cause the latter to be forced through the aperture opening 28. Any liquid contained therein will then exude from the inner cavity of the dispenser to the outer surface thereof. If the wall of body 27 is not sufliciently thick to act as a bellows plane, the application of an external pressure will deform the wall of the body only in the vicinity of the applied pressure, thereby failing to compress the air in the internal cavity and subsequently the liquid therein.

Upon the release of the aforesaid external pressure on the face and/or sides of body 27, the wall of body 27 in the vicinity of the slit aperture 28 will return to its original position. The edges of side walls 34 of said aperture, which are adjacent face surface 29, will then again be in tight abutment so as to seal off inner cavity 33 from the surface 29 of the dispenser and the external atmosphere. It has been found that even a elevated altitudes, i.e. 21,000 feet above sea level, the aperture 28 is efficiently sealed so that none of the contents of the dispenser leak or exude from said aperture. Accordingly, the device of the instant invention finds particular usefulness in that it may be carried in pockets and purses without danger or fear of leakage therefrom.

FIG. 3 is an enlargement of slit aperture 28 in crosssection, illustrating the V-shaped configuration of the slit aperture. The side walls thereof converge to the surface 29 of body 27 and are divergent at the opposite end adjacent inner cavity 33. As illustrated in FIG. 3, body 27 is in its original or unflexed position so that the outer edges of side walls 34 of aperture 28 are in tight association, thereby sealing inner cavity 33 from the external atmosphere surrounding body 27.

FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional longitudinal view of the dispenser of FIGS. 1-3 through slit aperture 28, thereby illustrating the thickened portion 32 of the wall of body 27 in relation to said aperture. FIG. 4 is also illustrated with a hypodermic needle 35 (shown in dashed line) inserted in aperture 31 of filling means 30 in position to conduct liquid soap or detergent into inner cavity 33 of body 27. It is important that inner cavity 33 is not completely filled with a liquid substance in order to leave a small unfilled portion so that a sufiicient quantity of air exists in the cavity 33 to form a buffer or cushion so as to prevent liquid from exuding from the dispenser immediately upon the application of an external force. This is particularly important at. elevated altitudes where even a slight decrease of atmospheric pressure will cause the liquid contained in. the dispenser to leak out. After cavity 33 is sufiiciently filled, hypodermic needle 35 is extracted or withdrawn from filling means 30. Because of the resilient properties of the material comprising body 27, the puncture in the filling means 30 resulting from the insertion of hypodermic needle 35 is immediately contracted so as to become sealed.

FIG. 5 illustrates a method of making the self-sealing slit aperture shown in FIGS. 1-4. Inward lateral pressure is applied to the wall of body 27 so that the wall of said body, provided with the thickened portion 32, is outwardly bulged and the thickened portion 32 is at the maximum point of convexity as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 5. A slit is formed through thickened portion 32 by an appropriate slitting tool in a plane parallel to the body axis, but perpendicular to the surface of the wall of the body. It should be noted that the side walls 34a of the slit aperture 28a are parallel to each other when the wall of said body 27 is in its outwardly bulged position. Upon the release of the inward lateral pressure, the walls of body 27 are returned to their normal position (as illustrated by the solid line) thereby concomitantly causing the innermost edges of slit aperture 28 to diverge so that the longitudinal lengths thereof are in spaced relationship to each other. Simultaneously, the outermost edges of the side walls 34 of the slit aperture 28 are in tight abutment so as to seal the inner cavity 33 and its contents from the atmosphere outside of body 27.

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate another embodiment of the present invention wherein the self-sealing slit aperture 36 having a thickened portion 37 is situated at the base of trough 38. Cylindrical roller 39 is rotatably secured to body 40 of the dispenser so as to be positioned over slit aperture 36 and in parallel alignment therewith. Thus, as pressure is applied to the body 40 of the dispenser, the roller 39is simultaneously moved along the surface of application and the friction therebet-ween rotates the roller, thereby uniformly applying the solution therein to the surface which the roller has contacted. Although the roller, in conjunction with the self-sealing slit aperture, is illustrated on the side of body 40, it is understood that they may be also situated on the surface face of the body. In addition, through the use of multiple slit apertures and concomitant rollers, the body may be internally divided into compartments containing different liquids so as to serve as a multiple liquid dispenser. This would find particular usefulness in the application of such items as perfumes and the like.

A filling means 41 is provided by body 40 and consists of an internally threaded extension of the body 40 projecting inwardly into cavity 42 in the dispenser. A corresponding threaded plug 43 is in threaded engagement with the internal threads of filling means 41 so as to be removable during the filling operation and thereafter replaced. The outer face 44 of plug 43 is substantially flush with the surface of the end of body 40 of the dispenser. Although various means of removing plug 43 from the filling means 41 may be utilized, a concave slot 45 which is adapted to be engaged by a coin or the like is illustrated. I

FIGS. 8-10 illustrate still another embodiment of the invention herein. The self-sealing slit aperture 46 having a thickened portion 48 is positioned at the bottom wall of trough 47. The self-sealing aperture 46 has the same characteristicsand performs the same functions as does the self-sealing aperture 36 of FIGS. 6 and 7, and aperture 28 of FIGS. 1-4. The flat-shaped trough 47 in conjunction with thickened portion 48, serves the function of preventing the propagation of the slit aperture 46 along its axis. The filling means 49 shown in FIG. 8 is similar to that illustrated in FIG. 6 and is provided with a corresponding plug 50 having a concave slot 51. The body 52 of FIGS. 8 and 9 is further shown with corrugations 53 extending parallel to the direction'of the axis of slit aperture 46. These corrugations act as lather producing means by entrapping air between the corrugations and the film of soap so as to create air bubbles, and may be utilized on all the embodiments of the invention described herein.

FIGS. 11 and 12 illustrate still another embodiment of the present invention wherein body 54 of the dispenser is providedvwith self-sealing slit aperture 55 having a thickened portion 56 similar to that of FIG. 1, and an internally threaded filling means 57, similar to that of FIGS. 6 and 7. As was the case in FIGS. 6 and 7, plug 58 having a concave slot 59 is shown in threaded engagement with the filling means. A leak-proof expandable liner 60 is provided in the body cavity securely attached to the thickened portion 56 of slit aperture 55. The volumetric size of the liner 60 is less than that of the body cavity so that when liner 60 is filled, air pockets 61 exist between the liner wall and the internal wall of body 54 of the dispenser. Thus, a secondary leak-proof device is provided in that even with greatly reduced atmospheric pressure, i.e. at high altitudes, the expansion of the liquid in the dispenser due to the internal pressure therein will cause the filler to expand into the air pockets, thereby preventing leakage or exudation of the liquid out of the slit aperture into the atmosphere. To permit the air within the air pockets 61 to escape upon the expansion of liner 60, an orifice 62 is provided in body 54.

The various embodiments of the dispenser are made by first forming a hollow body of a resilient pliable material (such as polyethylene) having at least one extended thickened area projecting inward-1y into the cavity of the body. An external pressure is then applied against the body of the dispenser on any side or surface face other than the portion or portions of the body having the inwardly extended thickened area, thereby outwardly bulging these portions of the body. The thickened area is then laterally slit or perforated therethrough with an appropriate tool. The external pressure applied against the body is'thereafter removed, thereby permitting the bulged portions of the body to return to their original positions.

Although as the slit aperture is produced the sides of the slit are substantially parallel to each other, when the external pressure is removed from the body so that the body wall returns to its original position the walls at the inner ends of the slit aperture will diverge whereas the sides of the walls of the slit aperture at the outermost end thereof will converge tightly against one another. Consequently, although the inner portion of the slit has a width greater than the initial slit, the outermost portion thereof, due to the resilience of the material, causes the walls at this point to tightly abut against each other, thereby sealing the aperture. When the dispenser is filled with a liquid substance and an external pressure is again applied to the body of the dispenser, the portion of the body containing the slit aperture is bulged outwardly whereby the walls of the slit aperture will again be in parallel alignment with each other so that a continuous, unobstructed passageway results through which the contents of the dispenser may be freely passed therefrom.

While several embodiments of the invention and their method of making are described, itis of course understood that the particular embodiments of the invention herein disclosed are for illustrative purposes only, and

6. that various changes may be made therein without departing from the principles of the invention or the scope of the annexed claims.

I claim: 1. A liquid dispenser, comprising: a hollow body, said body being comprised of a pliableresilient material; corrugation means formed on the outer surface of at least one Wall of said body, said corrugation means having a plurality of intermittent elongated crests and roots; an elongated protrusion carried by the inner wall of saidbody, said protrusion having a lateral dimension substantially less than its longitudinal dimension, said elongated protrusion projecting slightly in- V wardly from the inner wall surface of said body, the face area of said protrusion being substantially less than the area of the inner wall surface of said body,

said, protrusion face being in a plane substantially parallel to the inner wall of said body;

slit means provided in said body, said slit means comprised'of an elongated normally closed aperture extending through said elongated protrusion coextensively with the longitudinal dimension thereof and coextensively aligned with a root of said corrugation means, the outermost edges of said slit means being in tight association and the innermost edges of said slit means being in spaced relation with each other; and

means for filling said hollow body with liquid or the like.

2. A liquid dispenser as described in claim 1 wherein an expandable liner bag is provided within the hollow cavity of the body, said liner bag, when fully expanded, having a volumetric area less than the hollow cavity of saidbody, said liner bag being securely attached to the elongated protrusion means of the body so that the slit means is separated from the hollow cavity of the body by the liner bag.

3. A liquid dispenser as described in claim 1, wherein the elongated protrusion is situated at the base of an elongated surface depression coextending therewith and the slit means extending through the protrusion intersects the bottom wall of said depression.

4. A liquid dispenser as described in claim 3 wherein a cylindrical roller is rotatably secured in the elongated deformation provided in said body and in parallel alignment therewith.

5. The method of making a liquid dispenser comprised of a pliable resilient material having integral self-sealing dispensing means, which comprises:

forming a body shell having a hollow cavity therein;

providing at least one exterior surface of the body shell with corrugation means having intermittent elongated crests and roots;

providing means in said body shell for filling the shell wall with a thickened elongated portion extending slightly inwardly therefrom which has a longitudinal dimension greater than its lateral dimension, a face area substantially less than the area of the body shell wall, and said face located in a plane substantially parallel to the said body shell wall;

outwardy bulging said body shell wall provided with the thickened portion so that said thickened portion is positioned at the maximum point of convexity of said bulged wall;

providing a longitudinal slit extending through coextensively with said thickened portion so as to align with a corrugation root and interconnect the 0pposite side of said thickened portion;

restoring said bulged body shell wall to its original position so that the outermost edges of said slit are in tight abutment with each other and the innermost edges of said slit are in spaced relation to each other; and

providing means in said body shell for filling the samewith liquid or the: like.

6. The method of making a liquid dispenser as described in claim 5, including providing an elongated depression in the surface of the body shell Wall having the thickened portion so that said elongated depress-ion is coextensively superimposed over that portion of the body wall above said thickened portion and providing a coextending longitudinal slit in the base of said elongated depression through said thickened portion so as to interconnect the depression base and the opposite side of the thickened portion.

7. The method of making a liquid dispenser as described in claim 6, including rotatably securinga cylindrical roller in said elongated depression in coextending parallel alignment with said longitudinalslit and said elongated depression.

8. The method of making a liquid dispenser as described in claim 5, including securing an eXpandable liner bag to said thickened portion within the hollow cavity of said body shell, said liner bag having a volumetric area less than the hollow cavity of said body shell and providing means in said expandable liner bag for filling the same with liquid or the like.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,264,666 4/1918 Ljungstrom 15-582 X 1,650,966 11/1927 Smith 222-490 2,186,140 1/1940 Kurtz 401186 2,229,707 1/ 1941 Test 401-2l9 2,611,515 9/1952 Smith 222213 2,679,336 5/1954 Frick 222-386.5 X 3,214,783 11/1965 Perry et al. 40128 3,231,145 1/1966 Converse 15543 X ROBERT W. MICHELL, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,375,056 March 26, 1968 I Jose Rosan It is certified that error appears in the above identified atent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 2, 'line 23, "postion" should read position Coluinn"3, line 56, "a" should read at Column 6, line 56, "means in said body shell for filling the" should read M the interior surface of at least one body line 67, after "through" insert and Signed and sealed this 23rd day of September 1969.

(SEAL) Attest:

WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR.

Commissioner of Patents Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Attesting Officer 

1. A LIQUID DISPENSER, COMPRISING: A HOLLOW BODY, SAID BODY BEING COMPRISED OF A PILABLE RESILIENT MATERIAL; CORRUGATION MEANS FORMED ON THE OUTER SURFACE OF AT LEAST ONE WALL OF SAID BODY, SAID CORRUGATION MEANS HAVING A PLURALITY OF INTERMITTENT ELONGATED CRESTS AND ROOTS; AN ELONGATED PROTRUSION CARRIED BY THE INNER WALL OF SAID BODY, SAID PROTRUSION HAVING A LATERAL DIMENSION SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN ITS LONGITUDINAL DIMENSION, SAID ELONGATED PROTRUSION PROJECTING SLIGTHLY INWARDLY FROM THE INNER WALL SURFACE OF SAID BODY, THE FACE AREA OF SAID PROTRUSION BEING SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE AREA OF THE INNER WALL SURFACE OF SAID BODY, SAID PROTRUSION FACE BEING IN A PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO THE INNER WALL OF SAID BODY; SLIT MEANS PROVIDED IN SAID BODY, SAID SLIT MEANS COMPRISED OF AN ELONGATED NORMALLY CLOSED APERTURE EXTENDING THROUGH SAID ELONGATED PORTRUSION COEXTENSIVELY WITH THE LONGITUDINAL DIMENSION THEREOF AND COEXTENSIVELY ALIGNED WITH A ROOT OF SAID CORRUGATION MEANS, THE OUTERMOST EDGES OF SAID SLIT MEANS BEING IN TIGHT ASSOCIATION AND THE INNERMOST EDGES OF SAID SLIT MEANS BEING IN SPACED RELATION WITH EACH OTHER; AND MEANS FOR FILLING SAID HOLLOW BODY WITH LIQUID OR THE LIKE. 